


The Beginning of The End

by I_See_The_Stars_15



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: ...Kinda, Demon Deals, Gen, How Do I Tag, Impulse makes a deal to fuck shit up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26858368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_See_The_Stars_15/pseuds/I_See_The_Stars_15
Summary: The server is quiet, too quiet.A deal between a god and an exhausted human might just change that.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	The Beginning of The End

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by a) my Impbrine hc, and b) Ray's Evil Impulse and Stress AU on tumblr (where this fic was also posted). Check it out:  
> http://target-block.tumblr.com

The sound of feet hitting glass echoed throughout his base, the clinks almost hypnotizing as they followed him around. He stayed close to a beacon beam, focusing more on the sound of magic than the sound of his own breathing as his steps became harder, more frantic.

The Stand-Off Match was a disaster, that much can be said. It was so easy for Joe to take him down, mistake after mistake piling up until it was barely a match. He played it off back then, said it was a good game even when rage started simmering beneath the surface of his smile. Joe, for how good he was at comfort, never thought of his growing distress in the game as anything more than friendly. 

For Impulse, each second after his match, each day after his failure clung onto him like a phantom, except he would rather fight phantoms than deal with this. Each error replayed in his mind with every waking moment and working on farms no longer provided the same comfort they used to. 

Only the feeling of magic, pure in its form, quieted his thoughts anymore. It thrummed underneath his skin, a steady beat that he craved more and more these days. The beacon was his safest bet in attaining peace of mind, no matter how temporary it is, and so he spent hours upon hours in his wither farm and the End, collecting mountains of nether stars in the hopes that they’d give him relief.

He didn’t know why he was this worked up over what seemed to be a minor loss. He didn’t know why his mind decided to fixate on that boiling negativity. It’s not like he was tired of faking his happiness so much, or how he was done with only being noticed when asked for his help, which isn’t even often considering how most people on the server were at least passable with Redstone. It’s not like he was hurt about literally being ripped away from his previous world to join his friend in his work, unable to leave out of a silly sense of loyalty that quickly faded away. It’s not like he’s aching to hurt whenever he’s pulled in to the other’s shenanigans with nothing more than empty promises of joy that always went unfulfilled on his end.

Maybe he did know why this affected him so much. Maybe he also didn’t like any of the outcomes that can happen should he give in to it all.

Another set of footsteps join his; this one lighter as though the person barely stepped on the ground at all. He looked up and was met with glowing white eyes watching him curiously, observing his every move. He’s reminded of when those white eyes last observed him: when he was stuck in the past and it seemed only he can see the entity watching each and every one of his and his friend’s moves. 

He would have called for help or fought the god if he wasn’t so weighed down by his emotions. Instead, he settled on asking the simple question of “What are you doing here?”

Herobrine shrugged, a smirk tugging on the edge of his lips. “Must there be a reason for me to visit this server every once in a while?”

“The only reason I can think you’d have is if you wanted to destroy it,” Impulse bit back, stopping in his tracks so he can face him head-on. “I’d stop you before you even have the chance to try.” Magic ran through his veins. Not like Scar and Cub with the powers of the Vex, or Xisuma with the abilities that came as admin, but he is still filled with magic no matter how normal he looked. He might not be able to stop Herobrine, but he could certainly try if he ignored the fatigue settling in his bones.

To his surprise Herobrine chuckled, the sound booming and filling his ears. It was almost mocking, as though the god knew something he didn’t. “Oh, there’s no need to try. I have no intention of harming this server—” he eyed Impulse, raising his eyebrow at the man “—not when you can do it easily.”

Impulse stilled as the words registered in his mind, a cold feeling of shock overcoming him. Deep inside, that shock stemmed from the idea of someone finally pointing out what he’d known and ignored for a long time. 

His silence must have given away his thoughts as Herobrine stepped closer to him, his eyes reminding him of the beacon humming just behind him. “You’ve always interested me, ImpulseSV,” he began, circling him while he remained tense in his place. “There’s so much potential for destruction in you, and yet you keep it sequestered away behind your farms and your projects. How come?”

Finally regaining his voice, Impulse weakly retorted “I’m not going to hurt my friends.”

Herobrine laughed once more, louder and more grating now that he was closer. “I know you wouldn’t.” Impulse’s eyes widened in confusion. “The question is, are these hermits you claim to care for really your friends?”

Were they indeed? The question lingered in the back of his mind as doubt began seeping in. He tried to shake it away but the more he thought of it, the less he liked the answer. He forgot for a moment that there was someone even there until a cough made him jump.

“Of course they are.” He winced at how unsure he sounded, even to himself. Herobrine stopped in front of him, looking unconvinced.

“Then where are they now? Why are you here sulking alone in your base? Where’s TangoTek or Zedaph or anyone else? Do they even remember you’re here?”  
“Of course they remember I’m here!” he raised his voice and Herobrine smirked knowing he hit a nerve. “They’re-they’re just busy, that’s all. Tango’s working on Decked Out, Zed has his contraptions—”

“And what do you have that you are known for?” Herobrine questioned, and the answer came easily enough to Impulse that he could steady himself for a bit.

“I have my farms, everyone knows I’m good with it.”

“Oh, of course, you’re good at it,” Herobrine coos, voice saccharine and dripping with sarcasm. “But what does good matter when you’re on the same server as people like Mumbo Jumbo or Ethoslab? What’s being good against being a master of a craft?”

There’s silence for a few seconds as Impulse bowed his head, shifting on his feet. He knew compared to the others that he wasn’t as impressive, but he didn’t think that affected how they thought of him. Could he have been wrong? Could Herobrine be right?

“You know, there is something I’m sure you’d be a master of,” Herobrine murmured, playing around with his powers as wisps of magic flowed through his fingertips. It was almost sinister with how bright it was, yet it had an allure Impulse couldn’t resist. “You’ve always had a connection with the entities of my realm. Harnessing ghasts as weapons and building farms for drops that would be difficult to get otherwise is certainly a feat. But this—” the magic darkened as it solidified, curling around until it had the telltale petals and stems of a wither rose. “This has always been one of my favorite things to see you collect.”

He placed it in Impulse’s clenched fist, and even if his arms started having black veins running through them, courtesy of the wither effect, he couldn’t focus on the sting. “The stems are always more potent than the petals, the roots more powerful than the thorns.” He looked up at Herobrine, the god coming close to cup his face, squeezing his cheeks in an almost painful way. 

“How much longer will you hold yourself back? You can be remembered, right here, right now, and I’d be more than happy to help you explore that potential to be horrible.”

Impulse swallowed as he almost crushed the wither rose still in his hand. “What are you getting out of this? Pushing me to destroy the server?” Was he really entertaining the thought of razing the place that has been his home for years? “Surely you want something from this.”

Herobrine smiled, face stretching almost terrifyingly as though he was unused to smiling. “Just the satisfaction in knowing I helped you do something great.”

Silence.

“Get out.”

The god tilted his head. “Excuse me?”

“Get out,” Impulse repeated, hands shaking. He could feel the effects of the rose now, a stinging pain almost knocking the breath out of his lungs but he managed to stay upright. “I-I’m not going to let you mislead me anymore.”

Herobrine raised an eyebrow but did nothing more. “As you wish,” he muttered in false demureness, although there was amusement swirling in his eyes. “Just saying you should be careful with that rose I gave you. Place that down and you summon me. My offer of help is always open.” He smirked one last time. “Until we next meet, ImpulseSV.” He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a shower of magic.

Impulse stared at the particles he’d left behind before turning his attention to the wither rose. Taking a deep breath, he puts it in his inventory, trying to convince himself of the need to destroy it.

Does he really need to destroy it? It’s not like he’s planning to believe Herobrine’s words right?

He pushed it out of his mind. He can’t get rid of it now. That’s going to come in handy soon, he’s sure of it. He’s just not sure why that’s so.

What now?

************

He had to admit, the jungle was definitely a work of art. The giant builds left him speechless, but it also left him feeling so small. He knew his base, no matter how big or how long he spent making it perfect, would never catch attention as well as this area would. It almost felt like rubbing salt in his still open wound, his conversation with Herobrine still fresh in his mind a week later.

That was why he was in the jungle now, even if it served to only sour his mood. Living in the jungle was a hermit that always seemed to be open to others, who always lent an ear to those who needed it. He and Stress never really hung out much, but her presence, when they would find themselves together, always seemed to calm him down.

Right now, however, it seemed she needed the company as much as he did. Minutes have passed now, filled with idle chatter, but there was something tense in the atmosphere: a feeling that, no matter how much he tried, he could not shake away.

“Is anything wrong, love?” Stress asked, picking up on his mood. Both of their cups of tea must have gone cold by now, and even if Impulse preferred his caffeine from other sources, he always relied on tea to calm him down. This time, however, it seemed it wasn’t enough.

“I could ask you the same,” he idly replied, munching on one of the cookies she made. She hummed softly at his words, a bitter smile on her face matching the now-bitter tea she took a sip of.

“I guess I ain’t as good as hiding my feelings as I thought, eh?”

Impulse gave a half-smile back. “Not really, I’ve just seen your look in the mirror one too many times.”

“And for the same reasons?” He thought back to his conversation with glowing white eyes, about the jabs at his self-worth and his image, about the way his hands really did seem fit for destruction.

“Well, that depends.” He tapped his fingers on the table, the sound as monotonous as footsteps. “What’s got you so down?”

Stress gave a quiet laugh before she muttered “And here I thought I’d be the one comforting you.” Her grin turned almost wistful as she took a small spoon and stirred it around in her cup. “Just, this place has been rubbing off me weirdly lately. I feel almost restless ya know?” She rested her elbows on the table and held her head in her hands looking quite bored. “I took a wee break just to see if it would make me feel better, but it made things worst for me. All that time to think almost made me mad at the hermits.”

“What do you mean?” Impulse questioned, seeing the dark look on her face. “Why would you be mad at them?” She didn’t question him separating himself from the others, throwing her hands up instead.

“They keep underestimating me ya know!” she exclaims, voice echoing throughout the room they were in. “Oh, poor Stressmonster, horrible at PVP and Redstone and building and everything. I mean look at this place!” She gestured wildly around her head. “Everyone’s building massive trees and mansions and villages and whatever it is Mumbo’s got going on, and what do I have? A skull and a few butterflies overshadowed by it all.”

Impulse chuckled darkly. “Oh, I definitely feel ya.” He relaxed in his seat, crossing his legs as a sarcastic smile takes over his face. “You’d think the guy with all the farms would be talked about more in the server, but really they only want to think of me when they need something.” He leaned forward almost conspiratorially. “Did you know Bdubs genuinely thought he could scam me in our new shop? The guy doesn’t even do anything yet he demands half of the profits.”

Stress gasped, covering her mouth even if there was a twinkle of amusement in them. “That’s horrible.” She tapped her chin in thought. “Sounds like Bdubs though.”

Considering the undertones in their conversation, the chortle Impulse released certainly seemed out of place. “Sounds like a lot of people on this server don’t you think? Anything for a quick buck.”

“Says the bloke who spammed advertisements for his shop every time someone died,” Stress retorted, her tone reverting to something more conversational even if there was a dark agreement lingering underneath her words. “How is your shop anyways?”

“Going horribly,” he muttered. “No one needs totems anymore, not when death’s so rare.”

“I can imagine,” she agreed, voice still light even if her smile is a bit forced. “I mean, if there’s one thing I’m sure I can be good at, it’s makin’ potions. I mean, I’ve been researching them all season!” She shook her head. “You don’t see anyone ravin’ about how strong they are though, not when no one needs them anymore what with all their fancy netherite and all that new stony stuff.”

Her words hit deep, and his mind brought to the surface something he can recall Herobrine saying.

“You know, there is something I’m sure you’d be a master of.”

“You know, the last time totems and potions were popular was in Season 6.” He watched as Stress perked up, her eyes filling with a dangerous glint. 

“Oh, of course! Demise and the Civil War! Those were fun times, don’t ya think?” she chattered and Impulse couldn’t help but giggle softly at her excited demeanor. 

“They were certainly chaotic.” He added, almost as an afterthought “Destructive too.”

Stress sighed wistfully. “Can I be honest with ya love?” Impulse nodded, and she took that as her cue to continue. “The destruction was my favorite part of it all. Didn’t think Grian was all that capable of bringing so much chaos into this place.” Her smile fell and she all but slumped in her seat. “It’s a shame he’s more reserved this season don’t ya think? This place is sorely lacking in excitement right now.”

Impulse smiled, agreeing with her wholeheartedly. “Of course.” He hummed thoughtfully, “I mean the Head Games and the Button were fun for a while, but they weren’t even as close to being as interesting as Demise. Of course, Beef and Keralis do have their whole ‘neighborly dispute’ going on, yeah?”

Stress snorted. “Please, knowing those two fellas they’re just gonna pull a few pranks then call it a truce.” She empties her cup in one final gulp, wincing at the bitter taste. “Don’t think a land dispute’s gonna be enough to start a war I’m afraid.”

Impulse was silent as he let the words of their conversation flow over him. Here was Stress, lovely, bubbly Stress, disappointed that there hasn’t been a war on the server yet. He never expected that from the girl, yet he can’t help but understand her reasoning when it’s so similar to his own inner thoughts.

He came to her to sort out himself, and maybe to have someone dissuade him from the growing urge to let loose. Now though, it seemed, that his want, no his need for wreckage has been validated and encouraged. His hand drifted to his pocket where the wither rose still was, and the presence of its destructive magic soothed his nerves even as it hurt him. A plan quickly forms in his head, and he can’t wait to see how it will all play out.

“What if,” he started slowly, making sure Stress’s attention was all on him. “We gave them a little nudge.”

Stress titled her head, seemingly confused, but the look in her eyes told him she already understood. “Whatever do you mean?”

Impulse smiled as though a scandalous secret was just shared between the two of them, and maybe that’s exactly what happened. He pulled out the blackened rose, playing with its petals and watching the black slowly travel up his arms. The pain was still there, but it elated him to watch the particles swirling around him.

“The server’s getting too quiet, don’t you think?” He let the stem of the wither rose touch one of the cookies on the table, and he watched as it disintegrated into black dust swept away by the wind. Stress’s eyes were also trained on the ash, an awestruck smile flickering on her face. The smell, no matter how faint, stirred something in him: an animalistic joy he last felt during Demise, when death and gunpowder were waiting at each turn. “What do you say we pick up Grian’s slack and cause a bit of mischief on the server?”

Stress giggled, sounding all too happy with the turn of events. “They’ll never even suspect it’ll be us.”

His lip curled into a sneer, feeling all too natural compared to the smiles he’d been faking all week long. “No, they won’t.” His sneer formed into a smirk as he stood up from his chair. “We’ll make them realize how big of a mistake they’ve made.”

He extended his hand with the wither rose still in it. Stress accepted it, and even if she hissed through gritted teeth at the pain, her smile never left her face. “It will be too late by the time they do.”  
Impulse hummed. “Come with me to my base,” he offered, pocketing the rose once more. “I have something I’d like to show you.”

“Very well, lead the way.”

As he did, he thought about what he’s about to do. Part of him still ached at the thought of hurting the others, but frankly, he’s done hurting for them. He’s done with being ignored and swept aside until he was needed, done with being underestimated and laughed at over and over again. They thought he was human when there was still that bit of magic flowing through him, sure to increase with his plan.

Stress would be a major ally. She seemed to want destruction just as much, if not more than him. She’ll definitely be helpful, what with her having listened to so many hermits’ insecurities and problems. He’s sure she won’t mind sharing a few of them. Her potion skills would be amazing to see in action as well. He has to admit that he was one of the people who didn’t think much of her, but this clearly changed that view.

He hoped he was as good at destruction as Herobrine claimed he had the potential to be.

He led her to the same room with the beacon, sighing when the magic helped loosen up his tense shoulders. Stress seemed to feel the same way, her smile soft and unassuming once more. 

“I really should use them beacons more often,” she mumbled right as she turned to him. “What did you want me to see?”

Impulse didn’t immediately reply, instead taking a deep breath and getting the wither rose out. He placed it on the ground near the iron blocks that supported the beacon and waited.

For a few moments, there was nothing but silence, just dark particles mixing with the stark white of the beacon beam. Slowly though, almost as if it was absorbing the magic from the beacon, wisps of light started curling around the flower, growing into the silhouette of a person who picked the rose up. Once the light faded, he and Stress finally faced the white-eyed entity of destruction that sowed his doubts in the first place.

Herobrine smirked at him, carelessly crushing the wither rose in his hand. “So, you finally thought about my offer, huh?” He tilted his head upon seeing Stress. “And you brought a friend too. It’s a pleasure, Miss Stressmonster.”

Stress laughed at the greeting, fearless. “You aren’t as scary as the legends tell you to be, ain’t ya?”

A shadow flitted across Herobrine’s face before it was quickly replaced with a dazzling smile. “Oh, compared to the two people in front of me, of course I’m not scary. I know what the two of you are capable of, after all.”

Impulse snorted, shaking his head. “Flatterer,” he called out, voice on the edge of laughter before he sobered up. “What can you offer us then?”

Herobrine rubbed his chin, giving the appearance that he was deep in thought. “I can offer you assistance and guidance for one. After all, I do have experience with causing mayhem.” He hummed before continuing. “Moreover, I can give you the power to carry out some of your more...magical related tasks.” His wide grin almost made his teeth seem sharper than they were.

“I can make you kings and queens of destruction.”

Stress smiled impossibly wide. “Queen, huh?” she mused. “I like the sound of that.”

Impulse smirked, facing Herobrine and looking him right in the eye. “I do as well. Sounds...charming.”

Herobrine mirrored his smirk as he extended both hands out, covered in white light. Impulse and Stress glanced at each other before they accepted the offer, Impulse shaking his right hand while Stress shook his left. The magic travelled from hand to hand, going up his arm and settling around his neck. He took a deep breath as his thoughts finally quieted down, and for the first in a long time he no longer felt restless.

Stress breathed out a small “Oh,” as her eyes briefly glowed pink, and her smile dropped from her face before it returned sharper, deadlier. “That felt wonderful.”

Herobrine retracted his hand before bowing in a fluid motion. “I live to serve.” He grinned, looking up at the two. “I can’t wait to see what you will do.”

Impulse has never felt more confident, more sure in his life. “I can’t wait, too.”

**_The End of the Beginning:_ **

He watched idly as Bdubs and Tango writhing on the ground, coughing out clouds of black that matched the veins running up and down their bodies. The color suited them, he thought, and he certainly enjoyed hearing their strangled noises mingle with the explosions still going off in the background.

His own arms, now blackened and numb, didn’t matter to him. He’s surprised he was even able to hide them from the others for so long, and it makes him laugh to think that they thought False of all people was the original culprit when signs such as that were in front of them the whole time. Really, it’s only a shame he can no longer feel the wither effect when he touched the roses, relying on the thorns to remind him of why he was doing the things he did. He didn’t care if the other hermits, by some miracle, would be able to take him down and recover from this. His small band of destruction made the shopping district absolutely beautiful with all the fires contrasting the decaying dirt. He and Stress of course remained the head of their operation, and with the support of Herobrine they were able to pull off their heists. There were a few close calls but that just added to the thrill of it all.

They weren’t going to forget about him now, nor would they ever think about trying to use him and fool him and scam him. Today, he proved that he was something to be reckoned with, and it made him grin like a fool to know that this is what he’ll be remembered for: not for being shovel boy, not for his totems, not for any other thing. He won’t be forgotten, not anymore.

He can just see a figure in the near distance, standing on top of Xisuma’s Block Exchange. White eyes meet yellow ones, shining with pride and absolute elation.

The god of destruction smiled.

The king of destruction on the Hermitcraft server smiled back.

**Author's Note:**

> Continuing my streak of posting with this fic of our favorite balls of sunshine going feral. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Maybe leave a kudos while you're at it?


End file.
